On Monday of this week, I listed off ten male and female wrestlers from WWE’s NXT and NXT UK brands that I would like to see make an appearance as an entrant at the 2019 Royal Rumble event for both the Men’s and Women’s matches. As every WWE fan knows, the Royal Rumble match is the one event where surprise entrants are a sure guarantee to appear at the event. Lately they have been filled by members of the NXT brand, but they have historically been filled by returning WWE alumni as a special nod to the fans who long to see some of their favorite stars of yesteryear. That’s why for this list, I am listing off the ten former male and female wrestlers that I would like to see as a surprise entrant in the Men’s and Women’s matches at this year’s Royal Rumble.
First, my ten choices to see as a surprise entrant in the Men’s Royal Rumble match:
Chavo Guerrero
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 225 lbs
Date of Birth: October 20, 1970
Chavo Guerrero Jr. is part of one of the most legendary wrestling families in the business – and I have been a fan of his since I first saw him in WCW. He has since left the WWE and is now part of the Lucha Underground staff, but it would be a cool spot to see him return for the Royal Rumble.
Chris Masters
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 275 lbs
Date of Birth: January 8, 1993
I used to be a big fan of Chris Masters and was a fan of his muscular physique, which I thought would take him far in the WWE. He didn’t quite make it and has moved on, most recently for Impact Wrestling. But since his departure there, I would love to see him make an appearance at the event.
Damien Sandow
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 247 lbs
Date of Birth: August 3, 1982
Damien Sandow was a wrestler that many of the WWE Universe grew increasingly fond of. Yet he never quite received the push that many fans wanted him to. So, he moved on from the WWE, also appearing at Impact Wrestling for a time. But because of his connection with the WWE Universe, it’d be great to see him in the Rumble match.
D-Von Dudley
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 290 lbs
Date of Birth: August 1, 1972
As one part of the most decorated tag teams that ever stepped into the squared circle, D-Von Dudley has quite a connection with the WWE Universe – so much so that he is currently an agent and producer with the company. But it would be nice to see him make a quick surprise appearance in the match, just for fun.
Ken Shamrock
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 210 lbs
Date of Birth: February 11, 1964
Here is a man that deserves to be in the WWE for everything that he did when he was with the company during the mid and late 90s, but for some reason he isn’t. Even still, it’d be a great service to him to have him appear as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble, as well as to satisfy his fans.
Montel Vontavious Porter
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 259 lbs
Date of Birth: October 28, 1973
While MVP had a pretty decent career when he was with the WWE, he didn’t quite make it as high in the company as many thought he should have. Since leaving the company, he has made a name for himself in other promotions and has even returned to make surprise appearances in various forms for the WWE – so why not appear in this match as well.
Rob Van Dam
Height: 6’
Weight: 235 lbs
Date of Birth: December 18, 1970
I dare you to tell me that you were not a fan of RVD when he was in WWE. Hell, he had a huge fanbase even before he appeared in the WWE when he was still in ECW. He still has a huge fanbase though and it would be a fun spot to see him make one more appearance in the Royal Rumble match.
Santino Marella
Height: 6’
Weight: 227 lbs
Date of Birth: march 14, 1974
Santino Marella was one of the best comedic wrestling gimmicks to ever appear in the WWE – and fans really took to his character. He has since retired from the WWE due to injuries incurred over the years, but it would be a great surprise to see him make one more appearance in the Rumble, even if it is for just one more second.
Steve Blackman
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 246 lbs
Date of Birth: September 28, 1963
Steve Blackman himself has said that he sometimes misses being in the ring, and he did have one of the more interesting characters during the late 90s and early 2000s, so why not give him one more shot at being in the ring and have him appear in the Rumble match as a surprise entrant.
Stevie Richards
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 220 lbs
Date of Birth: October 9, 1971
Stevie Richards was one of my favorite wrestlers back in his ECW days, and I was a huge fan of his when he made his way to the WWE. I even followed him as he moved to the independents, Impact, and Ring of Honor. So, on a personal level, I would like to see him make one more appearance in the WWE as a surprise entrant.
And now for my ten choices to see as a surprise entrant in the Women’s Royal Rumble match:
Beth Phoenix
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 150 lbs
Date of Birth: November 24, 1980
She has since made numerous appearances in the WWE since her retirement and WWE Hall of Fame induction, but that doesn’t mean that I still wouldn’t like to see her appear in the Royal Rumble one more time, this time possibly getting revenge on Natalya for eliminating her last year.
Ivory
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 135 lbs
Date of Birth: November 26, 1961
One of the greatest women’s wrestlers of the “Attitude Era”, Ivory has had a long and prosperous career in the wrestling world going as far back as the original G.L.O.W. promotion. Her appearance at Evolution only showed that she still has what it takes to make one more appearance at the Rumble.
Jazz
Height: 5’3”
Weight: 150 lbs
Date of Birth: August 27, 1973
I know that the NWA and the WWE don’t have a working relationship right now but seeing as that she is the current NWA World Women’s Champion, it shows just how good she still is in the ring. That’s why it would be a great to see her one more time in a WWE ring, honoring how much of a great wrestler she truly is.
Kharma
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 272 lbs
Date of Birth: September 4, 1977
Making a name for herself at TNA as Awesome Kong, as Kharma, she never quite got her career going when she jumped to the WWE. But seeing as she still has a positive connection with the company behind the scenes, it would be a great sendoff on camera for her to make one more appearance at the Royal Rumble match.
Lita
Height: 5’6”
Weight: 135 lbs
Date of Birth: April 14, 1975
I absolutely loved Lita when she was with the WWE – and I am not the only one. Just look at the ovations she receives whenever she appears at a WWE event. And look at her in-ring appearances at last year’s Royal Rumble and Evolution events to see why she is still as popular as ever and tell me she doesn’t deserve a spot at this year’s Rumble as well.
Melina
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 124 lbs
Date of Birth: March 9, 1979
Of all the women on this list, I have met Melina the most times at fan shows and conventions, and that is because I became a huge fan of hers when she was in the WWE and I have followed her career closely since, even following her on Instagram. So, personally, it would be a huge and welcome surprise if she were to make a surprise appearance in the Royal Rumble match.
Michelle McCool
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 127 lbs
Date of Birth: January 25, 1980
Michelle McCool showed us why she was one of the more popular female wrestlers during the Divas era of the women’s division of the WWE with her performance at last year’s Royal Rumble match, and it would be great to see her make another appearance this year to reward her and her fans for this.
Molly Holly
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 140 lbs
Date of Birth: September 7, 1977
Molly Holly was a true pioneer in the WWE when she first worked for the company and amassed a number of fans because of that. And after seeing her performance at last year’s Rumble, it’d be great to see her make another appearance at the event because she truly deserves to be recognized for her work in the business.
Trish Stratus
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 125 lbs
Date of Birth: December 18, 1975
Um, it’s Trish Stratus; do I really need to explain why I would like to see her make another appearance for the WWE in this year’s Royal Rumble match? She is pretty much as big a legend with the WWE Universe as you can name today. She deserves to be in the match because of who she is, period.
Victoria
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 155 lbs
Date of Birth: February 10, 1971
Of all the women on this list, Victoria is my favorite female wrestler and I have followed her career closely since. I loved her in the WWE, followed her as Tara in TNA, and have even seen her matches in Chikara and Ring of Honor. She is an accomplished wrestler that sometimes doesn’t get the credit she deserves, but a surprise appearance at the Rumble and later Hall of Fame induction would be a great way to recognize her talents.
